WEEKEND IN PERUGIA ITALY

Perugia is an Italian city and the capital of the Umbria region in Central Italy . It’s known for its defensive walls around the historic center . The medieval Priori Palace exhibits regional art from the 13th century onward .The city is located about 164 kilometres(102 miles) North of Rome and 148km(92 miles) South-east of Florence . It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area . The region Umbria is bordered by Tuscany , Lazio and Marche . The history of Perugia goes back to the Estruscan period ,Perugia was one of the main Estruscan cities . The city is also known as the universities town , with the university of Perugia founded in 1308 (about 34 000 students ) , the university of foreigners (5 000 students) and some smaller colleges as the Academy of Fine Arts ”Pietro Vanucci” . Perugia is also a well known cultural and artistic center of Italy . The city hosts multiple annual festivals and events e.g the Eurochocolate Festival ( october ) , the Umbria Jazz Festival (July) and the international Journalism Festival in (April) , and is associated with multiple notable people in the arts . The famous painter Vanucci , nicknamed Perugino was a native of Citta della Pieve near Perugia . He decorated the local sala del cambio with a beautiful series of frescoes , eight of his pictures can also be admired in the National Gallery of Umbria . Perugino was the teacher of Raphael the great Renaissance artist who produced five paintings in Perugia (today no longer in Italy ) and one fresco . Another famous painter , Pinturicchio lived in Perugia . Galeazzo Alessi is the most famous architect from Perugia . The city’s symbol is the griffin which can be seen in the form of Plaques and Statues on buildings around the city .